Transport Information For A One day in Hamburg Itinerary
How to plan your Hamburg one day trip around the different transport options in and around the City.
Getting In And Out Of Hamburg
Air Travel
Hamburg Airport is well served for European destinations with many low cost airlines flying here. It does however have a limited long haul service so it might be best to connect via Frankfurt or Berlin depending on your destination. However Emirates does fly from here to Dubai which means you are still pretty well connected to get to places like Asia and Australia. With short cheap flights to much of Europe though it does make doing Hamburg in a day easier to plan!
Book Your Flights To Hamburg Here
Getting to the Airport:
The airport can be reached easily using the U-bahn service from the city centre. With it being in the outer zones it is best to buy a stand alone ticket for this trip and then think about another ticket to cover your 24 hours Hamburg.
Book A Private Airport Transfers Here
Get A Hamburg CITY Card Here Which Includes transport & Discounted Entrance Tickets
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Buses/ Coaches
Hamburg ZOB bus station is well connected with coaches heading to almost every city in Germany with buses to Berlin leaving as regularly as 30 times a day! German bus companies provide cheap transport to cities like Cologne, Leipzig, Frankfurt, Munich, Hannover, Bremen.
Hamburg ZOB is also well served for international travel. Buses and Coaches leave daily for destination such as Vienna, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Copenhagen, Zurich,Basel, Milan, Rome, Prague, Budapest and other further off destinations in Europe such as Zagreb with less regularity. Though these are long haul services so 24 hours Hamburg might be a short time after such a trip!
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Trains
Hamburg Train Station is the busiest in Germany and the second busiest in Europe. The building itself dates back to 1906 and it’s well worth taking the time to take it in before your trip.
The station serves trains to almost every corner of Germany with more regular services to all of the big cities with Berlin being only a 2 hour trip away and places like Cologne around 4 hours away. This makes doing Hamburg in a day a lot easier as you can quickly continue your journey without being too tired.
Hamburg Train Station is also well serves for international travel with daily services to places like Paris, Basel, Zurich and Copenhagen with the later being around 4h 45 mins away, perfect for a quick 1 day in Hamburg whilst travelling around the region.
Generally train prices are a little more expensive than the buses but will get you there faster.
Book Your Train To Hamburg Here
Transport In Hamburg
Metro Trains
Hamburg is served by the U-Bahn and the S-bahn metro trains which offer a great service so idea for 1 day in Hamburg.
The system works on zones similar to many other metro systems around the world. Most tourists would only be visiting zones A-B which is within the “City Zone”.
If you are coming and going from the Airport however then you will be heading out of the City Zone. You can buy tickets according to the distance, zones or type in the machine specific stations so this is the best way to get from the airport to the city.
It also works on a single ticket basis where you can buy “Short Journey” or “Local Journey” within the AB zone.
Day tickets can be bought and you have a choice of a “9 am Day Ticket” or an “All Day Ticket”. The All Day ticket is a little more expensive and this is because it covers the rush hour between 6am – 9am whereas the other tickets covers all hours apart from these. It’s a bit like a Peak and Off Peak ticket. You can also get Day Group Tickets too. These day tickets are then priced according to how many zones they cover.
We recommend if you’re doing Hamburg in a day then to get an All Day Ticket to save you time and cover your whole 24 hours in Hamburg.
For those who do stay longer you can also get weekly tickets.
You can check out the ticket overview here: https://www.hvv.de/en/tickets/single-day-tickets/overview
You can also look at doing one of the Hop on Hop off bus tours which are ideal for those spending only a day here as they cover all the areas you will want to visit as well as some additional information about each area/ landmark with the audio commentary available. There is also the Hamburg CITY card which includes public transport and up to 50% off tickets for attractions which you can get for your Hamburg one day trip.
Get A Hamburg CITY Card Here Which Includes transport & Discounted Entrance Tickets
Book A Hamburg Hop On Hop Off Bus Ticket Here
Hamburg Travel Blog Tips: Hamburg Tourist Info
Best Time Of Year To Visit Hamburg/ Visiting In Winter
Winter is another popular time to come and in particular the time in the run up to Christmas. Hamburg can get bitterly cold and wet in the winter and snow is common. However the Christmas Markets here are some of the best and most authentic in the world and are a really magical experience and worthy of a mention on any Hamburg guide.
Where to Stay: Accommodation For 1 Day In Hamburg
Looking for where to stay in Hamburg? Check out these top picks around the city.
Best Budget Backpacker: Backpackers St. Pauli
A really fun and modern hostel right in the heart of the popular St. Pauli district this is an ideal place for those wanting to experience the Hamburg nightlife. A clean, tidy and no frills backpackers this is a great spot to lay your head for the night as you spend most of your 24 hours in Hamburg exploring all the city has to offer, but in the evening you can enjoy this lively neighbourhood.
See Prices For Backpackers St. Pauli Here
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Best Mid Range Option: Studio Feuerfest
A great option for those wanting a budget private space this modern industrial guest house is the ideal place to base yourself for your 1 day in Hamburg. With friendly staff and a quirky feel it’s a cool place from which to make the most of your time in Hamburg as it is in a great location too making it one of the best hotels in Hamburg.
See Prices For Studio Feuerfest Here
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Best Treat Option: St Pauli CITY Apartment
For those looking for something a bit more upmarket the St Pauli CITY apartment is in the coolest area of the city and offers a fully furnished apartment complete with kitchen, lounge and room enough for several guests. If you’re not on a really tight budget but still want value for money then this is where to stay in for your 24 hours in Hamburg.
See Prices For The St Pauli CITY Apartment Here
Search More Accommodation Options Here For 24 hours In Hamburg:
How To Spend A Day In Hamburg: Suggested Itinerary
There is a lot to do in One day in Hamburg so it’s best to plan out your time here to make the most of it. We suggest firstly thinking about what areas are the ones you want to prioritise in your 24 hours Hamburg and then going from there. For us this would be our ideal way to visit Hamburg in one day:
Morning
Begin the day right in the heart of the city at at the stunning Rathaus building, from here you can easily access the ornate Alster Arkaden, the venetian shopping arcade famed for its impressive architecture. This is also a perfect place to walk along the Alster too, the serine river that runs right through the centre of the city. From here you can take a short walk to see this iconic Church of St. Michaelis and even ascend it’s spire.
Lunch
That should just about take your morning up so next head to the Sternschanze/ Schanzenviertel on the train, this is a little further out but well worth it. This is an ideal place to get some lunch and try out some Currywurst before checking out the famous “Rota Flora” building and it’s homemade skatepark!
Afternoon
In the afternoon it’s time to explore the Speicherstadt Quarter, or the warehouse district. For us Meßberg is the best U-Bahn to head to as it’s just across the road from probably the most iconic view of this district. It’s is an ideal starting point to stroll down towards the Philharmonic theatre and to end up at Miniatur Wunderland, which is idea to visit once it goes dark or if the weather is really bad!
Evening
Take the train to “Landungsbrücken” which is the main harbour area of the city, this working port is both one of the most historic areas of the city but also a great modern area to hang out with bars and even an urban beach in the summer. From here it’s a short walk to the famous Reeperbahn in the St Pauli district, historically populated by sailors it has a seedy reputation but today is known as a trendy hipster area with great places to eat and drink. This is the ideal place to spend the rest of the evening experiencing the best of Hamburg’s restaurants and famous nightlife!
Many bars will have live music and remember, the party doesn’t start until late into the night in Hamburg, around 11pm, so you’ve plenty of time to explore and have some food first!
Hamburg in 1 day: Overview
In all honesty, Hamburg in one day isn’t enough time to see the city properly, but it seems like it’s the most popular or common amount of time people tend to get here as they pass through for places like Berlin or Southern Germany. But it’s enough time to get a taste of what the city has to offer, the unique architecture of the canals, harbours and different districts shaped by its history as a port town. Maybe after doing your Hamburg in 1 day trip you might come back for more!
This is a pretty exhaustive day we’ve got planned for you, but in case you didn’t realise already, we really do love Hamburg so it was hard not to include all those places. If you’re like us and love to fit in as much as possible then you should have no trouble fitting it all in to a tiring but rewarding day. But if you like to take things a bit slower (maybe a day isn’t for you!) then you can easily pick and choose from the list below and craft your own One day in Hamburg itinerary!
Get A Hamburg CITY Card Here Which Includes transport & Discounted Entrance Tickets
Book A Hamburg Hop On Hop Off Bus Ticket Here
Book A Hamburg Ultimate Discovery Day Tour Here
Why Not Book A Tour For Your Hamburg In A Day Trip?
Hamburg in one day is going to be pretty busy, so maybe a tour might help you plan your time or fit in all those places with some great info to go along too. It’s a great way to spend 24 hours in Hamburg.
Book A Hamburg Ultimate Discovery Day Tour Here
Hamburg 24 Hours:
Things To Do In One day in Hamburg:
Take In The Stunning Rathaus/ Town Hall
Shop At The Venetian Alster Arkaden
Stroll Along The Alster
Church of St. Michaelis
Get Lost in The Alternative Sternschanze/ Schanzenviertel Quarter
Probably my favourite area of the city, the alternative quarter of Hamburg that is jam packed full of counter culture, art and music. The former working class area has evolved into the bohemian capital of the city, at its centre the “Rota Flora”, a semi-derelict building that has at one time been a theatre, informal music venue and squat, not the most obvious of the Hamburg attractions but the most cool!
Covered in graffiti it even has its own DIY skate park out at the back! “Schanze” has a real laid back vibe with independent bars, cheap places to eat, boutique shops and tiny galleries making it one of the coolest things to see in Hamburg. There is even an old war bunker right in the middle of the district which is covered in graffiti and has a climbing all up the side! It’s the trendy, borderline hipster but still grungy area of the city that we love!
Eat CurryWurst!
See The Biggest Warehouse District In The World At The Speicherstadt Quarter
Find Elbphilharmonie Tours Here
Discover The Magic of Minitur Wunderland
Visit The Historic But Modern Landungsbrücken/ Harbour Area
Explore The Reeperbahn & St Pauli Neighbourhood
Have You Spent One Day in Hamburg? Did Our Hamburg Travel Blog Cover Everything?
Book Your Transport To Hamburg Here
Check Out the Other Amazing Things To Do In Hamburg Here:
Book Your Accommodation Here
Hey, You’ve Got Your Travel Insurance Sorted Haven’t You?
Travelling and especially backpacking is a wild adventure, but make sure you are covered just incase something goes wrong, which if you’re living it up to the fullest it’s always a possibility!
Check travel insurance prices with World Nomads here!
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The whole country of Germany is on our travel wish list. So we are starting to compile our list of spots to visit. Good to get this guide on Hamburg. But I would agree that one day would not be enough to really enjoy the city with so much to see and do. I do like the idea of moving around Germany by train. I would love to visit in off season but take your warning about unpredictable weather.
This is one of the few cities I haven’t been to yet in Germany. I’ve always been drawn to it. The architecture and the vibrant city life – it has such a cool vibe to it. Especially in some of their unique neighborhoods – like the warehouse district.
Hamburg looks like a beautiful city and would like to spend more than a day here eating lots of currywust! Yum! However, it’s good to know that I can do it in a day with your tips.
Yes, we’ve been fortunate to spend more time than that there and if people get the time it is worth it!
I do love a city on water. I have only been to southern Germany- and that only because Munich was the most convenient place to fly out of during a European tour. I would love to go back and explore all of Germany as I was so impressed with the small amount that I got to visit.
Yeah, we love them too, there is something about them! We’ve not really been around the south actually and plan to go when we next travel around Europe… hopefully soon!! But we love Germany too!
Nicely illustrated page, good style, and well written.
Thanks.
I love Hamburg. I’ve been four times now, and each time I always find myself wanting to stay longer. Great list of things to do guys! You definitely need to be hitting up some of the night parties. Hamburg has some of the most insane nightlife you’ll ever experience. Real proper German techno, haha.